Tobias Overath

Tobias Overath is an Assistant Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Duke University, affiliated with the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences and the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience. His research focuses on understanding how the human brain processes sound, particularly examining acoustic parameters like pitch and timbre, and the neural mechanisms underlying speech perception and temporal integration. His work combines behavioral experiments with neuroimaging techniques (fMRI, EEG) to study auditory cortex function.

Education:

• Ph.D., University College London (2009)
• M.S., Humboldt University of Berlin (2004)

Research Interests:

• Neural representation of fundamental acoustic parameters
• Speech-specific acoustic analysis to linguistic transformation
• Temporal integration in auditory perception
• Impact of auditory deafferentation on speech comprehension

His grants include NIH-funded projects exploring high-performance MRI for brain imaging, cochlear implant optimization, and speech processing in familiar/foreign languages.

Professional Activities:

• Course instructor for Functional Neuroimaging (PSY 303L) and Cognitive Neuroscience (PSY 217D)
• Data+ Project Leader (2023)
• Review Editor for Frontiers for Young Minds (2018–present)

Labs/Teams: Leads the O-Lab (Overath Lab) at Duke, focused on auditory neuroscience and speech processing.